Freak
by Nerdy J Fics
Summary: "Freak!" "Jealous!" Once best friends, now this is all that's left. Lily will have to accept the death of one friendship, to fully embrace the birth of something even more beautiful. Written for the Houses Competition bonus round.


**Freak**

 **House: Gryffindor**

 **House prompt: Physically, he/she was fine. Emotionally, he/she was scarred.**

 **Prompt: He/she was the only one who ever understood him/her. But now he/she was gone.**

 **Theme: Marauder's Era, Hogwarts, pre-Order**

 **Characters: Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Petunia Evans**

 **Word Count: 1532**

 **Rating: T, I suppose...**

 **Disclaimer: Do I look like the queen of the writing world? No. That's right, I'm not J.K. Rowling, and thus do not own any of this. Plot twist, right?!**

 **A/N So I really hope no one is OOC, but it's my first time writing them, so let me know how I did, y'all! -Nerdy J**

* * *

"Thanks for dropping me off, Sev," Lily smiled, after his seventh year friend had disapparated.

He shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? I live close enough, it only makes sense that you side along with my friends and I."

She rolled her eyes, picking up the end of her trunk.

"Why can't you just say, 'you're welcome,' or, 'no problem' and be done with it?"

Severus shook his head, lifting the other side.

"I don't have to. You always know what I mean."

The redheaded girl grinned as she moved carefully backwards with the trunk.

"Fair enough. I wish we could use magic outside of school, already. I'm sick of doing stuff the Muggle way, and I haven't been home for an hour!" She complained.

It was the dark haired teen's turn to roll his eyes, as he walked at her slow pace.

"I know, Lil, but just a couple more years of waiting. Don't be dumb and get in trouble for something like that."

"Yeah, being dumb is _your_ job."

"You're the Gryffindor, last I checked..."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

* * *

The summer was long, and, for the most part, rather carefree. Severus and Lily rarely went a day without seeing each other, and the two enjoyed themselves immensely. On the other hand, things at the Evans' house were growing tenser by the day. Petunia was behaving more coldly to her little sister than ever, and it was driving Lily insane. The times that she wasn't ignoring the young witch, the sisters were fighting horribly.

* * *

"Well I'm _sorry_ that things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to, but I can't change that!"

"Oh please! Like I'd ever want to go to that school of freaks! Don't be ridiculous!"

"Then I guess I've just imagined it, then?"

"Maybe so. After all, make believe is your life now, isn't it?"

* * *

"Why can't we just be like we used to? We were best friends, Tuney!"

"It's not _my_ fault you're a freak. This is all _your_ fault!"

"Are you delusional? How on Earth can you blame me for something outside of my control, of anyone's control? Are you truly that jealous?"

* * *

"Get away from me!"

* * *

"Go away!"

* * *

The day Lily went back to Hogwarts was the day of their worst fight yet.

"Why can't you just be _happy_ for me?" Lily screamed. "I'm happier than I've ever been! I _belong_ there, Tuney!"

" _Belong?_ " Petunia snapped, laughing shortly. "Well, you've got _that_ right, at least! You _do_ belong with all those other _freaks_!"

Lily's angry green eyes filled with tears, stepping closer to her older sister.

"Fine, _fine_! I'm a freak, does that make you happy? I'd rather be a freak than a selfish, _jealous,_ little prick! Do you have _nothing_ in your life? Are you truly just a completely miserable human being? There's this thing called karma, and I think it's come for you, you little..."

She heard the impact before anything else registered. Slowly, the stunned redhead raised her hand, lightly touching the spot where she had been struck. Her sister was staring at her without remorse, pure fury and hatred in her eyes. The pain from the slap was temporary, she knew, but it had happened nonetheless. Physically, she was fine. Emotionally?

She was scarred.

* * *

Lily was in a bit of shock as she sat in her compartment on the Hogwarts Express, waiting for her best friend to return from putting up their trunks. Sure, she and Petunia had had fights before, and they had been growing more frequent over the years, but they had never reached this level of intensity before. The words had never been so hurtful, neither of them had ever struck a blow... It was as though the pair weren't even sisters anymore...

She pulled her knees up on the seat, and buried her face in them, sobbing. She had lost a sister today. They hadn't been close since they were kids, but today had sealed the deal. It was silly to cry over the death of a friendship that had been in the grave for years, she scolded herself, but now it was just... It was just so _real..._

Hearing the door to the compartment open, the girl quickly wiped away her incriminating tears.

"Hullo, Sev. Where did you get off to?" Lily asked, cheerfully ignoring her problems.

Severus was not fooled, clearly. His dark eyebrows drew together as he narrowed his eyes.

"You've been crying," he stated. "What happened?"

She shook her head fervently.

"Nothing! I haven't been crying, what are you talking about?"

He shook his head at her, sitting beside her.

"Lil, I've known you for since we were nine. I know when something's wrong. And it's a bit obvious when you forget to use a glamour charm on your eyes."

He looked disapprovingly at the red puffiness around her eyes, while Lily cursed her forgetfulness.

"Is it Potter? I already told him I'd hex him right out of the country if he teased you again. Did he say something?" he demanded.

Lily looked out the compartment window, red curls cascading down her back.

"I haven't seen Potter since school let out. And he isn't actually cruel to me or anything, not like he is to you. He's just... Annoying, is all."

The languid looking boy next to her frowned darkly.

"That doesn't answer my question. What happened?"

Lily looked back at the teen boy. The teen boy who cared so much about her. The teen boy who let her in, and only let _her_ in as far as he did...

And she knew that he was the only one in the world she could tell.

"Petunia... We... We had a fight today," she whispered.

Severus's facial expression didn't waver, walking a fine line between concern and confusion.

"That's nothing new, though. Is that all that happened?" He urged her.

She shot him a scathing glare.

"Maybe you would find out if you would _let me finish,_ you impatient snake," she growled.

Severus grinned slightly at seeing her temper flare. She was alright if she was feeling well enough to snap at him.

"Today was... Well... _Different,_ Sev. We both said really hurtful stuff, me especially. I usually try and not fight back too much, so she won't get more upset, but today I just...snapped, I dunno. I said stuff I shouldn't have, and she slapped me."

Her best friend's eyes narrowed dangerously at a spot on their seat, as though he were reprimanding it for allowing this to happen.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, eyes darting up to meet her own. "I mean, _really_ okay? I know you've always wanted to rebuild your relationship with her..."

"Though I don't see why, your sister is a horrible person and doesn't deserve your friendship," he added under his breath, presumably confiding in the seat once more.

Lily nudged him, laying her head on his ever present shoulder.

"You know very well why. When I was a kid, you know, before you came along, you little ray of sunshine, you..."

He moved his shoulder deliberately, causing her to tip over sideways. Chuckling, he ignored her death glare and wrapped his arms around her once she had righted herself.

"As I was saying..." Cue another death glare here. "When I was a kid, she was the only one who understood me. I didn't have any other friends, you know. But now... Now she may as well be dead to me, Sev. She's gone. Maybe not from this Earth, but from my life, and that almost hurts more..."

She felt the tears coming again, hot and fierce. Severus held her tightly, letting her cry until she was tired and even more red-eyed and mussed than before.

"You're going to be fine. Maybe not now, but one day, you will."

"She's gone, Sev. She's gone forever, or may as well be. I don't know what to..."

"You'll fight," he interrupted. "You'll fight like the beautiful bloody Gryffindor you are, and you'll get through this."

She pulled out of his embrace.

"Thanks, Sev," she whispered.

He grimly nodded, casting his dark eyes back to the seat once more.

"Crazy girl, crying on me, getting me all emotional..." He muttered to his new friend. Did the seat reply, you ask?

Of course not. It's a bloody inanimate object, are you mad?

"I can hear you, you know, idiot," she commented.

He smirked at her slightly.

"Maybe I know. Maybe I just don't give a..."

"Language," she warned him, flicking his forehead.

The lanky boy swatted at her hand, rubbing the stinging spot.

"Is this my thanks for being a good friend and listening to all your problems for the past seven years of my life?" He said, giving her a purposefully rueful glare.

Lily gave him a long look, her eyes seemingly searching for something.

"No," she said softly, in a very un-Lily like voice. "This is."

The girl pulled his face close to hers, hesitating for a brief moment. Was it worth risking their friendship for what could very well be a silly crush?

Severus answered her question in one swift movement, as his lips joined hers in a long awaited meeting.


End file.
